The New York Rangers look to extend their point streak to seven games when they host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
New York is 4-0-2 in its past six games and 12-2-2 in the past 16. At home, the Rangers have won six of seven, including a come-from-behind 4-3 shootout win against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Filip Chytil tied the game with 6:25 remaining in the third period, and following a scoreless overtime period, Artemi Panarin scored the deciding goal in the third round of the shootout.
Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller each scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves and then added two more in the shootout.
“It’s pretty important for a team like ours, especially if we make the playoffs,” Panarin said of the comeback win. “It’s an important skill if we can go together and keep it; it doesn’t matter how things are going, we can do the same thing.”
Fox added an assist and extended his point streak to five games (one goal, six assists). The Rangers are 9-0-0 when Fox records multiple points in a game.
“We were down 2-0 in the first. I thought we could have been winning after the first period,” Fox said. “But we battled. If we play like that, I think we’re going to win a lot of games.”
Chytil has goals in three of his last four games.
Rangers forwards Chris Kreider and Julien Gauthier sustained upper-body injuries against Minnesota. Kreider will miss the game against Dallas, but Gauthier practiced Wednesday.
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said Kreider’s injury is a short-term thing.
Shesterkin is 3-0-1 with a 2.99 goals-against average (GAA) and .904 save percentage in his career versus Dallas.
The Stars make the short trip to Manhattan after winning a shootout of their own on Tuesday, defeating the New York Islanders 2-1 for their second straight win.
Jason Robertson scored in regulation and had the only goal in the shootout for the Stars.
“I think we needed that,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “I think Jake needed it. I think our group needed it. (Robertson), obviously, big goal in regulation (and) big goal in the shootout. He’s done it all year for us, too. It was an important two points.”
Robertson has five goals and an assist in his past five games.
Goalie Jake Oettinger made 27 saves and stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout.
Dallas is 7-3 in its past 10 games and continues to lead the Central Division.
“We all know what we’re capable of in here, a lot of world-class players in this locker room,” Oettinger said. “I think we believe that we can beat anyone when we play the right way and play our game.”
Oettinger is 0-1-0 with a 5.67 GAA and .789 save percentage in two games — one start — against the Rangers.
Stars forward Denis Gurianov returned after missing nine games due to a family situation back in Russia. He was given a shift in overtime and took one of the shootout attempts.
“I think it was important for the team,” DeBoer said. “We tried to get ‘Gury’ out there in overtime; we tried to get him out there in the shootout.”
–Field Level Media
